Why Is Red So Hot?

The one great thing about red hair is that it works for everyone....depending on the shade. Natural blonds can go with a more red-gold color and brunettes do well with deeper copper, chocolaty reds. According to Marie Claire magazine, red hair color ideas are influencing all of the other colors right now and is in high demand.

The best thing about red hair color is that its a great way to look younger. A lot of women will look for lighter hair colors thinking that will make them look younger. If you go too light, it can wash color from your face and actually make you look older. Reds add warmth, color and youth to your face.

Reds are good at any age. For a little warmth, use reds to highlight your natural color. For more drama, go all the way with red. Red is literally a head turning color so you need the confidence to deal with all of the attention you'll get! Lindsay Lohan's former colorist sums it up the best by saying "Red hair is like a sequined dress - it walks into the room before you do."

As a case in point - think of all of the actresses that are famous for their red hair. Just to name a few...

Lucille Ball
Sophia Loren
Julia Roberts
Cynthia Nixon
Kate Walsh
Deborah Messing

And here's the best part - did you know none of these actresses is a natural redhead?! This also goes to show that there are a variety of shades of red and this is a hair color that looks good on everyone.

Hair Color and Hair Lengths

Before coloring your hair, you also need to think about the length. If you have really short hair, all over color is your best bet. Highlights won't blend as well in shorter hair. One thing to remember for short hair is that all over color needs to be touched up every 4-6 weeks. Depending on how short your hair is, this is probably close to your schedule for hair cuts.

That being said, highlighting short hair can be done depending on the cut. As you can see in this photo of Mariska Hargitay, a short cut with long hair on top looks great with highlights. The key is having longer layers on top so the highlights blend.

For medium to long hair, highlights around the face can be especially flattering. Highlights require less maintenance than all over color. You can go 2-3 months between touch ups. However - if you used permanent color for your highlights you also need to watch regrowth so you don't end up with one color on top and a different color at the bottom of your hair.